[BrianC]

I am going to look at a 64 chevelle SS what should I look for. Im planning on making it a street/strip car (has no motor or trans). Where do they rust at frame body (common places). What is hard to find for them? Any thing else that I need to know? Thanks for your help!! PS im going tomarow morning!! (nothing like waiting till the last min LOL)

 

[Slime]

Well I don't know if you will find this good advice or not but here I go. Here is what I wish I 'd had done. Go through some of the after market books and look at the prices of things especially the things you are issng or are going to want to replace. I have found that after buying alot of parts you could have spent more to begin with. Good luck; Hard decision Steve

 

[rick]

Brian
If the first 3 numbers of the VIN are not 457 or 458 it is not a real SS. For more info go to www.chevelles.com/ref/64main.shtml
rick

 

[Jerry Acheson]

1. Watch for frame at cowl. It may be rusted at the front body mount.

2. Front fender SS moldings are impossible to find. Also, the piece that curves down the rear of the quarter toward the bumper is hard to find.

3. It's difficult to find a nice cast molding that goes across the rear of the deck lid and between the tail and backup lamp housings.

4. Rocker moldings for 64 are hard to get. However, rocker moldings for 65 are easier to tie in, especially if you have to do any quarter sheetmetal work.

5. They don't repop the dash bezel. However, you can find them and have them re-chromed.

6. You may not be interested in this; but, nice 64 SS wheel covers are hard to find. They're the same as on the Impala. However, they pit badly.

7. Once nice thing about the '64 is that many of the 65 parts (especially sheetmetal) fit. The fenders, doors, quarters, decklid and rear bumper exchange.

Good luck.

------------------
Jerry Acheson
Indianapolis, IN
64 Malibu SS 327 PG/PS/AC

 

[Bryan]

Brian, you've probably already looked at your '64.. hope you found a good one and snatched it up. Anyhow, here's some of the nasty suprises I found in the '65 I rescued. Rust in the trunk floor, you can't get the filler panels that go from the trunk floor sides to the bottom edges of the qtr. panels for '64-'65's(yet),typical rust around rear wheelwells, rust in windshield channel(found holes I could stick my thumb through here!), that rusty/leaky windshield channel can(has in my case) extend into the dash under the pad, rust in lower fender area, possibly expensive center link(depending on orig. equip.,I think the 13/16ths units are way more than the 7/8ths). It seems the '64-'65's are sometimes forgotten by the repop folks. I haven't seen any aftermarket door skins, fenders or hoods for our classics yet; same with bumpers, some odd bits of trim are unavailable, as well as consoles and in your case, dash bezels.
On the plus side, the '64-'65's are a little more scarce than the others, you're not gonna get lost in the crowd of '68-'72's when you're cruisin'. Good luck, Bryan